Improvement in ditching-machines



jnitrh gisten atrnt @fitta ALFRED A. FUSELIER, OF- ALGIERS, LOUISIANA.

Letters .Patent No. 74,074, dated February 4, 18ti8.

IMPROVEMENT IN DITCHINvG-MAGHINES.

TO ALL WHOM .IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, A. A. FUSELIER, of Algiers, in the parish of Orleans, and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ditching-Machine; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which wllenable those skilled in the art to make and use the same,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved ditching-machine. l

Figure 2 is an end view.

Figure 3 is a side sectional view of a set of excavating-buckets detachedhtakcn in the line a; x, iig. 4.

Figure 4 isa front view of the same.

y Figure 5 is a detail or top view of one of the revolving side-excavators detached.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to an improved machine for excavating ditches or canals, and consists of a carriage, mountedcn wheels, to be worked and propelledIon temporary movable ra-ils by a steam-engine, and sup porting drums for carrying an endless belt or chain, to which are aiixed excavating-buckets, scoops, or Scrapers, ofpeeuliar construction, which discharge the earth into a chute over the side to form an embankment, and are followed in their operation by revolving cutters for sloping the sides or banks of the ditch at any desired angle.

This apparatus may also be followed by a setot elevators to throw the earth cut by therevolvng cutters out of the ditch.

A represents a long carriage, mounted'on wheels a a, for running on rails, shown in red, which are to be placed temporarily in advance of the machine, that is also to be provided with a steam-engine to operate and propel it on the rails, A frame, B, is erected on the carriage, to support the machinery, consisting of two carrier-drums, C C', placed above and below, on which is placed an' endless chain or belt, b b, having excavators D D made fast to it, to travel with the endless belt and cut the earth to any desired depth and width for making a ditch or canal, the whole being operated by lsuitable gearing, asV represented. The drums C C are placed in such position relatively that the endless chainshall raise the excavators D D at an angle of about forty-five degrees, and the excavators ascendingfull of earth on the front end ofthe machine pass over the upper drum Cr and discharge their contents into a trough or chute, E, projecting more or less, as desired, over the side of the machine, to make an embankment, and provided with an endless apron, S, running in the bottom of 4the chute, to convey the earth from under the discharging-excavators, so that it shall fall upon an adjustable oscillating board, c, all arranged to distribute the earth as far from the ditch, and form an embankment as'wide as necessary. The excavators are formed of iron, with straight projecting steel-pointed knives, d d, in

front of the scoops m, and a sharp cross-scraper, n, the parts being hinged to the endless' chain or belt to give' them lexibility in passing over the drums. Below the carriage A are placed one or more cutters, F, made fast to a horizontal gear-wheel, k, to give the cutters rotary motion. `The cutters are formed of four straight-edge knives, e, set'conically at any angle desired, to shave thc banks or sides ofthe ditch at any required slope after the excavators have cut it. They may also be usedfor widening a ditch or canal. On the lower en-d of the shaft g of the gear-wheel e is atlxcd a rotary cutter, L, that is made to extend out far enough for 'removing the earth out of the way of the forward brace l, that bears the shaft g.4 A set of elevators may be attached to the rear end of the machine for removing thc earth thrown into the ditch by the conical rotary cutters. i

Haring described my invention,I claim as new, and'dcsire to secure by Letters Patent-A The excavators D, formed as described, in combination with the drums C C', the chute E, and the rotary cutter F, and the board c, all constructed, arranged, and operating as and for the. purpose set forth.'

ALFRED a. FUSELIER.

Witnesses:

PAUL '.l. Aroma, Leurs A.. DE TonNos. 

